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News Corp. Planning ESPN Rival

News Corp. is thinking about going after the biggest name in sports. No, not Tim Tebow dammit — ESPN. Bloomberg reports that the plan is to convert the Fuel network to a new, nationally focused sports channel. The channel is rumored to be launching by the end of this year and will be led by David Hill, the chairman of Fox Sports.

Of course the big problem with trying to challenge ESPN is that it has contracts with the NFL, NBA and MLB. That’s pretty much all American sports fans care about.

Fox’s biggest grab? The rights to the World Cup in 2018 and 2022. Soccer — despite its thrilling 0-0 ties and players flopping at the slightest bit of contact — is not exactly the best way to lure viewers.